FREMONT — Two people were injured Friday morning in a head-on collision on Niles Canyon Road that occurred when a car driver fell asleep and crossed the center line into opposing traffic, the California Highway Patrol reported.

The collision was reported at 5:46 a.m. Friday on a bridge on Niles Canyon Road east of Palomares Road, disrupting traffic for hours.

One person suffered major injuries and the other minor injuries, the CHP said. Both were taken to a hospital.

A 21-year-old Stockton man driving eastbound in a Toyota Camry apparently fell asleep, crossed the center lane, sideswiped a Ford pickup and collided with a Chevy van, according to CHP officer Derek Reed.

Traffic in both directions was closed and a Sig-alert issued while the CHP investigated.

Harry Harris is a Pulitzer Prize winning breaking news reporter for the Bay Area News Group. He began his Oakland Tribune career in September 1965 as a 17-year-old copyboy. He became a reporter in 1972 and is considered one of the best crime and breaking news reporters in the country. He has covered tens of thousands of murders and other crimes in the East Bay. He has also mentored dozens of young reporters, some of whom continue to work in journalism today.